About Global Warming
In simple terms, global warming refers to an overabundance of carbon dioxide, methane and ozone in our atmosphere. These gases and a few other atmospheric components are known as greenhouse gases. These gases trap heat and act like a blanket warming the earth. Some greenhouse gases occur naturally or at lower concentrations than currently observed and measured. Human activities contribute to the excess amounts of greenhouse gases present in our atmosphere and are expediting their dangerous effects on our environment.

Some ways we are effecting the world...

  • The emissions from the cars we drive
  • The pollution emitted from factories used to make everyday items
  • The power plants that produce non-renewable electricity for our every day lives
  • The massive landfills overflowing with our garbage
  • The conversion of forest land into pasture, urban or wasteland areas

    information from http://www.help-stop-global-warming.com/

    15 ways you can help:
    1. Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
      CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
      We recommend you
      purchase your CFL bulbs at 1000bulbs.com They have great delas of .screw in and pug in light bulbs.
    2. Install a programmable thermostat
      Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.
    3. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
      Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
    4. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
      Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
    5. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
      Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most energy efficient products available.
    6. Do not leave appliances on standby
      Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.
    7. Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
      You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.
    8. Move your fridge and freezer
      Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.
    9. Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
      Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.
    10. Don't let heat escape from your house over a long period
      When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.
    11. Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
      This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.
    12. Get a home energy audit
      Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.
    13. Cover your pots while cooking
      Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!
    14. Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
      If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.
    15. Take a shower instead of a bath
      A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximise the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort
      .
15 facts from; http://globalwarming-facts.info/50-tips.html
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by jesse